Rumor Mill: Ferrari's next moves, and Michelin back to F1?

Räikkönen to Ferrari? Ferrari to Le Mans? Michelin to F1?

Speculation is fun, and oftentimes, there's some fire behind the smoke. So we thought we'd take a closer look at three juicy rumors currently making the rounds.

Kimi Räikkönen to Ferrari?

According to Germany's top-selling paper Bild, Ferrari topped Red Bull's financial offer to Räikkönen (said to be $15 million) along with sponsorship for the Finn's motocross and hockey teams.

Why would Ferrari want to hire back the man it unceremoniously dumped with a year remaining in his contract in order to secure Fernando Alonso? Räikkönen's consistency would be a phenomenal weapon in Maranello's quest for the constructor's championship, but what's most likely going on here is psychological warfare. Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo did not appreciate Alonso's apparent conversations with Red Bull and is sending a very clear message: Nobody is untouchable or indispensable at Ferrari.

In the glory days of the 1960s and '70s, Formula 1 and sports-car racing existed side-by-side, with prototypes being more popular than open wheels due in part to the titanic battles between manufacturers like Ferrari, Porsche, Ford, Alfa Romeo, and Matra. For Ferrari, the chance of measuring itself against the likes of Porsche, Audi, Toyota, and perhaps Nissan and Honda in the future, has to be a tantalizing lure.

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Le Mans prototypes will be able to use the same basic turbo/hybrid engines that Formula 1 will introduce next season, so there could be a synergy there along with the possibility of more wind-tunnel work, now severely limited by F1 regulations. That said, an overhaul like this would mean a sizable investment that might detract from Ferrari's open-wheel focus.

Pirelli has yet to finalize its agreement with Formula 1 beyond the current season, and Michelin, which left the series after 2006, is reportedly interested in bidding for the contract. Despite being very late to the game, it wouldn't be impossible for Michelin to have tires ready in time for the first race of 2014. We don't expect to see a two-manufacturer tire war, as that could siphon fan and media attention away from F1's new "eco friendly" engines. As for reasons to dismiss the Michelin rumors, the company has said in the past that it would like to see Formula 1's high-sidewall tires changed to something that more closely resembles consumer products in appearance; this would require a complete redesign of the cars. With all the unwanted controversy surrounding Pirelli this season, F1 management may simply make the company sweat a bit before renewing the contract for next year.